2014 too soon for a Mercedes title - Wolff

Toto Wolff says 2014 will be too early for Mercedes to challenge Red Bull for championships.

Mercedes enjoyed a strong 2013 and finished runner-up to Red Bull in the constructors' championship after taking eight pole positions and three victories throughout the season. Despite such a year, outgoing team principal Ross Brawn maintained that the team's focus was success in 2014, but executive director (business) Wolff told ESPN in an exclusive interview that he thinks the wait will be a bit longer.

Asked if he was confident Mercedes could fight for the title next season, Wolff replied: "No. I think when you look at the kind of sustainable performance Red Bull has shown in the last four years they will still be the benchmark.

"It's not going to be a while. We are just putting things together now and it's a matter of us ramping up performance. I see us being a title contender in the next couple of years. When? I cannot tell you; it's reading a crystal ball. We just need to put the bits and pieces together.

"This is a dynamic organisation. It's not static, you can't say 'well this is how it should be' - it's developing. Some of our ingredients are just perfect; we have two drivers who are the drivers we want to have."

Chris Medland is assistant editor at ESPNF1 Chris Medland, who in his youth even found the Pacific GPs entertaining, talked his way in to work at the British Grand Prix and was somehow retained for three years. He also worked on the BBC's F1 output prior to becoming assistant editor ahead of the 2011 season